Evan Robertson, the New York-based graphic designer behind those clever book quote illustrations, just wrote to us to tell us about a fantastic new series he’s just made with his wife and fellow creative Nichole (Paris in Color). The two have teamed up to create these original Paris Travel posters…with a twist.
Instead of focusing on the iconic monuments Paris has to offer, they wanted to show the simple and memorable moments we all experience when we travel to the romantic city, like sitting in a Parisian cafe, walking in a trench coat in the rain or enjoying a glass of champagne. “I was interested in turning the hierarchy of the typical travel poster on its head, where you see a landmark or monument and a bit of life teeming around it for context,” he tells us. “In that type of design, all of the focus is on the ‘Come See’ aspect of a place. With this series, which focuses on Paris, I wanted to find a playful way to acknowledge those wonderful landmarks (e.g. The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe), but to have them take a bit of a back seat to the act of exploring and experiencing, to invite the viewer to ‘Come Do’ something instead of to ‘Come See.’
Each poster is beautifully designed with just a few colors. “The pallet is very rich in gold, black and cream, reflecting the richness of the experiences,” Robertson says.
Most notable is how he cleverly incorporates Paris’ famous architecture into the backdrop. Each image seems to work in perfect harmony with the other. My favorite is the one above called Share a Drink/Eiffel Tower which shows a pair of champagne glasses on a cafe table. Bubbles rise from the glasses to become evening stars and the Eiffel Tower is cleverly formed within the negative space.
“The landmarks are there to provide structural context. They interconnect with the subjects like puzzle pieces, and form a kind of architectural blueprint against which the simple subjects can take on a larger-than-life quality.”
Don’t they make you want to book a one-way ticket to Paris? You can buy these prints for $24 each on Etsy.
Cycle Across the City/Notre Dame
A bicycle with its basket full of flowers in front of the Notre Dame cathedral – the wheel merging with the rose window, the basket with the upper arches and the flowers with the trefoils and quatrefoils of the church facade.
Linger at the Caf/Pont Neuf
A row a cafe chairs, good for people watching – or in this case, the mascarons that line the bridge – with their cane backs complementing the rhythmic arches of the Pont Neuf.
Walk in the Rain/Arc de Triomphe
A stroll in the rain, the arc of the umbrella complemented by the Arc de Triomphe and its attending angels.